Sod installation cost in St. George, UT
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,450 – $3,200
- Per sq ft
- $0.95 – $1.95
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #152
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the St. George area: $1,450 to $3,200 for 1,500 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 3% lower than the US figure. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 96.4).
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in St. George, UT, standard level
$1,950 to $2,650
About $1.25 to $1.65 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $940 | $1,250 |
| Labor | $940 | $1,250 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $200 |
| Total | $1,950 | $2,650 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in St. George, UT
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $720 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 47% |
| Labor | $730 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $290 | 6% |
| Total | $1,450 | $2,300 | $3,200 | 100% |
What is behind the St. George number
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: landscaping and groundskeeping workers at 80%, construction laborers at 20%. Weighted together, St. George wages are 0.97 times the national level. Labor makes up about 47% of the midpoint estimate (47% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. St. George is at 96.4 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,150 nationally becomes $1,100 here (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 97.3: $0 to $290.
How St. George compares
Of the five closest metros, 1 is cheaper than St. George. Lake Havasu City is the lowest at about $2,250 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft), 110 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. George, UTthis page | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ110 miles | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −3% |
| Las Vegas, NV110 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Flagstaff, AZ135 miles | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +3% |
| Prescott Valley, AZ190 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | level |
| Provo, UT190 miles | $1,450 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +2% |
| Utah (statewide) | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +3% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +3% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, St. George ranks #152 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, St. George is 3% below the Utah figure.
Elsewhere in Utah
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City, UT | 826,210 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | +6% |
| Provo, UT | 304,660 jobs | $1,450 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +2% |
| Ogden, UT | 271,370 jobs | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +2% |
| Logan, UT | 66,800 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is St. George against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama City, FL | 90,610 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −3% |
| Medford, OR | 89,060 jobs | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +11% |
| Bellingham, WA | 91,390 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +14% |
| Florence, SC | 89,060 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | −4% |
The best months for sod lawn in St. George
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, St George (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For digging, grading and setting material in the ground, the comfortable months in St. George are March through May and October through November: 5 of 12. Outside them, January, February and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January, February and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 63 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
St. George gets about 9 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 1 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, February and August (1.4 inches in February). Inside the workable window, April and May are the driest, at 0.7 and 0.3 inches. The station averages about 128 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 28 | 1.2 | Cold |
| Feb | 59 | 32 | 1.4 | Cold |
| Mar | 68 | 39 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 75 | 46 | 0.7 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 56 | 0.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 96 | 65 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Jul | 102 | 72 | 0.5 | Hot |
| Aug | 100 | 70 | 1.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 92 | 61 | 0.7 | Hot |
| Oct | 79 | 47 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 64 | 35 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Dec | 53 | 28 | 0.9 | Cold |
What nearby projects cost in St. George
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same St. George wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (−2%) and retaining wall lowest (−6%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,050 | −2% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,800 – $9,500 | −5% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,550 – $12,600 | −6% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,400 – $9,850 | −3% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $34,200 – $107,000 | −5% |
Who does the work: St. George trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For St. George the blend is 0.97.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $18.24 an hour, 3% below the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $17.51 and $21.73 an hour. About 1,100 work in the metro. That is 121.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $21.96 an hour, which is 3% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.37 and $23.78 an hour. BLS counts 1,500 of them working in the area, 165.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (landscaping and groundskeeping workers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $170 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $35. That is a swing of roughly 1.5% to 7.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
St. George has 90,500 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 219th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $17.51 | $18.24 | $21.73 | $18.82 | 0.97 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $18.37 | $21.96 | $23.78 | $22.66 | 0.97 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
Sod installation: what moves the price in St. George
Site prep
The cost listed here assumes leveled, cleared ground. Grading and soil amendments are extra.
Permit
Sodding permits cost $40-$300 where required, mostly for large lawns or those next to a public road.
Old grass removal
Removing an old lawn first adds $0.50-$2.00 per sq ft, and a full remove-and-resod runs $1.50-$4.00 per sq ft (HomeGuide).
Cost by quality level and size in St. George
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to St. George. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from small yard (1,000 sq ft) to large yard (4,000 sq ft).
Basic
$1,450 to $2,150
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$1,950 to $2,650
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,500 to $3,200
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $970 – $1,450 | $1,350 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,250 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,450 – $2,150 | $1,950 – $2,650 | $2,500 – $3,200 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $3,850 – $5,550 | $5,100 – $6,800 | $6,350 – $8,050 |
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Sod installation in St. George: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in St. George?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,450 to $3,200 in the St. George area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,950 to $2,650. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in St. George?
About $0.95 to $1.95 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $290 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in St. George or Lake Havasu City?
Lake Havasu City is 110 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,250, which is 3% less than St. George ($2,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in St. George?
About 47% at the midpoint, or $1,100 out of $2,300. Materials are 47% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in St. George?
$1,450 to $3,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in St. George?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $290 for fees in the St. George area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is St. George expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Utah?
St. George is 3% below the Utah statewide estimate ($2,400 at the midpoint). We cover 5 metros in Utah; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in St. George?
The BLS median is $18.24 an hour in the St. George area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.51 to $21.73.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in St. George?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,450 to $2,150 and premium work $2,500 to $3,200. Basic means: basic grass on cleared, level ground. Premium means: premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes.
+When is the best time to lay sod in St. George?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through May and October through November. April and May are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Sod installation near St. George
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.